"Dad promises you, after you marry Gu Zhiyuan, your sister will absolutely not affect your position in the Gu Family! The position of Madam Gu can only be yours."
The light in Ji Shunuan's eyes dimmed bit by bit.
She incredulously looked up at the man she had called dad for 23 years.
She knew he was biased, but had never thought it would go to such lengths.
"Dad came to see you today, also to ask for a favor. After you kicked Wushuang out of the apartment, your mom and I had a fight! For the sake of harmony in our family, divide half of your assets with Wushuang."
"Originally, the Ji Family's assets were to be shared equally between you sisters," said Ji Jianchong, as he naturally pulled out an agreement and handed it forward.
He looked at Ji Shunuan with a face full of fatherly love, but calculation filled his eyes.
"Enough! You really disgust me. These assets were left to my mom by my grandfather; what right do you have to make me divide them with that illegitimate daughter?"
"You've used the Gu Family's past favor on my mother to morally blackmail me for 23 full years, making me toil for the Gu Family. Isn't that enough? Now you also want to take advantage of the situation to rob me?"
"Ji Jianchong, me calling you dad just now was already elevating you! Now, please get out of here." Ji Shunuan was very emotional.
She was so angry she almost vomited blood.
When she had a car accident, he showed no concern whatsoever.
But he was solely fixated on the assets in her hands, planning a path for that mother and daughter, even trying to morally blackmail her.
Where in the world does someone get such a good deal?
"Ji Shunuan, don't bite the hand that feeds you. You are my daughter! As long as you're not married, your assets should stay with the Ji Family! Then, I will be the one who decides," Ji Jianchong suddenly turned hostile, as he stood up abruptly.
With a "bang," a chair toppled to the ground, its noise echoing continuously within the hospital room.
He was shaking with fury, took the agreement and slapped it across Ji Shunuan's face, and pointing at her nose he cursed, "Do you really think that reading a few books will free you from me?"
"I'm telling you, I gave you face by letting you divide half with Wushuang! If I didn't give you face, you wouldn't get a penny." After saying this, Ji Jianchong left with large strides.
His words echoed in Ji Shunuan's ears.
Bo Jingcheng heard the noise and quickly entered the room. Seeing the mess, he rushed in and bumped into Ji Jianchong.
"Miss Ji," Bo Jingcheng's Adam's apple moved, his voice nearly stuck in his throat.
The man's slender fingertips tensed subconsciously.
He quickly turned his head, his deep black eyes coldly watching Ji Jianchong's retreating figure, barely hiding the menace in his gaze.
Ji Jianchong felt the murderous look from behind and, lacking any confidence, wondered if today's words would intimidate Ji Shunuan. Then he slowly turned around.
"If you dare ruin your sister, then get out of the Ji Family," Ji Jianchong snapped coldly.
No sooner had the words left his mouth, he regretted them.
Meeting Ji Shunuan's cold gaze, Ji Jianchong couldn't help but shudder, angrily slamming the door as he left.
The hospital room was eerily quiet.
Bo Jingcheng saw the scattered papers and hurriedly bent to pick them up.
Just then, the old lady who had gone out for a walk came back carrying food, her face full of smiles. Seeing the disarray in the room, her anger surged to the sky.
"Bo Jingcheng, did you bully Nuannuan?" said the elder, marching in with the soup.
She placed the thermos on the table and squeezed in between them, reprimanding them as if disappointed in her own, "Didn't grandma teach you since you were little to care for women? Nuannuan is so beautiful and kind, and you dare to bully her behind grandma's back, has your conscience been eaten by a dog?"
She had made up her mind the moment she saw Ji Shunuan; she had planned to match them together.
But in just the blink of an eye, Bo Jingcheng had botched things up.
The old lady's heart was bleeding, as her granddaughter-in-law, who was almost within her grasp, was slipping away.
"Grandma, it's not his fault," Ji Shunuan's heart was so pained she could hardly breathe.
She thought she wouldn't care about Ji Jianchong's opinion, but when he coldly clarified his stance, she was hurt, even if just for a moment.
And that hurt reached its peak when the old lady charged in to defend her.
Tears of grievance swirled in her eyes, and just as she tried to blink them away, the old lady turned around, embraced her, and gently patted her shoulder.
"Nuannuan, don't be afraid, Nuannuan, don't cry, with grandma here, I'll support you," the old lady cooed softly.
Her voice was gentle, as if it could soothe all sorrows.
The tears Ji Shunuan had blinked back broke through once again in that instant.
"Grandma," Ji Shunuan's voice was choked, her hands clutched tightly onto the old lady's clothes.
Bo Jingcheng stood there, his tall body frozen, then methodically arranged the fallen agreement documents, sweeping his dark pupils over the content at a glance.
A flicker of astonishment crossed the man's eyes, unable to believe it; he looked down again.
It was only after confirming the content was correct that Bo Jingcheng's well-defined fingertips tensed slightly, as if he were about to wring a hole in the agreement.
Compared to being misunderstood and scolded by the old lady, the content of the agreement shocked him even more.
He knew the deep waters of the wealthy families, but he had not realized how self-righteous people could be.
"Don't be afraid! With grandma here, no one can bully you!" the old lady cooed softly, turning to look at Bo Jingcheng as they exchanged glances.
"It wasn't me," Bo Jingcheng touched his nose, quickly explained.
If he didn't clarify, he was afraid he would be punished to kneel in the ancestral hall tonight.
Although he was decisive and swift in action, he would never go against the old lady! In the Bo family, the old lady still had the final say in minor matters.
"Nuannuan, tell grandma honestly, did Bo Jingcheng scold you?" the old lady persisted, unconvinced.
It wasn't that she didn't trust Bo Jingcheng, but when she entered, she only saw him there.
The Bo clan's offspring were sparse, especially in the last hundred years, with only one heir in each generation! Her desire for a daughter, after the old man died, had turned to despair.
Not until she met Ji Shunuan today did she truly like this young girl from the bottom of her heart.
"Grandma, it has nothing to do with Mr. Bo, there's trouble in my family," Ji Shunuan hastened to shake her head.
The old lady wanted to say more, but her shoulder was pressed down, and Bo Jingcheng forcibly turned her around and pushed her out, saying, "Grandma, it's getting late, I'll have Cheng Qing send you back."
"You can send me away if you want, but don't you bully the young girl," the old lady said, but her feet didn't stop for a second.
Thinking of her grandson alone with Ji Shunuan, hope ignited in her heart.
In the instant she was pushed out of the ward, she lowered her voice and said, "Make sure to treat her well, understand? Nuannuan is not bad; if you don't want to go on arranged dates, then pursue her!"
"..." Bo Jingcheng fell silent.
He closed the door of the ward, took the agreement to her side, and quietly placed it on the table.
Ji Shunuan wiped away the tears from her face with the back of her hand, her eyes clear, without too many emotions or waves, as Ji Jianchong's words echoed in her mind.
Over and over, even three times.
Until she slowly closed her eyes, and when she reopened them, she suddenly reached out and clutched the hem of Bo Jingcheng's clothes.
"Mr. Bo," Ji Shunuan called his name with a hoarse voice, yet firm.
"Here," Bo Jingcheng responded in a raspy voice.